The invention relates to a window having a fixed jamb liner and a hinged weatherstrip. In particular, the window includes a frame, a pair of fixed jamb liners, a sash and a pair of hinged weatherstrips. The invention also relates to a fixed jamb liner and hinged weatherstrip assembly for use in a window.
Hung windows are windows in which the sash rides vertically in the window frame. Oftentimes, a jamb liner provides an interface between a sash and a frame. In such a window the sash slides in the jamb liner. It is generally desired to prevent moisture and air from infiltrating from the outside of the window to the inside and yet to have good sliding motion of the sash.
Weatherstrips are used to reduce air and water infiltration between the sash and the jamb liner. Some prior art weatherstrips are made up of either a soft bulb type of weatherstrip or a pile weatherstrip. However, when these bulb weatherstrips are held in a fixed position (as opposed to part of a hinged weatherstrip as will be described below) they are not very durable and tend to wear out over multiple uses. Furthermore, these prior art bulb weatherstrips have a rather limited range of sealing effectiveness. If there is sufficient bow in the sash side member, the prior art weatherstrips may not effectively seal the entire length of the sash side member. The pile and soft bulb type of weatherstrips also result in a significant amount of friction which impedes the vertical movement of the sash within the jamb liner.
In many hung windows the sash can be tilted inward or outward such that the plane of the sash deviates from the plane of the frame. This tilting action allows for easy cleaning of the glass that is held in the sash.
In order for the sash in a tilt window to be tilted, the sash must be disengaged from the track of the jamb liner. The disengagement of the sash from the jamb liner is accomplished in many different ways. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,507 a layer of polyurethane foam is situated between the frame and the jamb liner. The polyurethane foam acts as a spring so that the jamb liner can be pushed in an outward direction towards the frame, thereby disengaging from the sash. It has been found that sliding a sash in such a flexible jamb liner results in sluggish sliding interaction between the sash and the jamb liner.
A window having a frame, two fixed jamb liners, a sash, and two hinged weatherstrips is provided. The fixed jamb liners are secured to the frame such that they do not move laterally with respect to the frame. The hinged weatherstrips include a rigid sash bearing member hingedly connected to a second member. The sash bearing member is capable of moving laterally toward and away from the fixed jamb liner such that it provides an effective seal between the sash and the fixed jamb liner.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a fixed jamb liner and hinged weatherstrip assembly is provided.